Mouton Cadet – An iconic Bordeaux brand reborn

“It is good to start from the past!”, said Florent Bouvier, Business Development Manager, Hong Kong, South East Asia-Pacific, Baron Philippe De Rothschild, Orient, as he welcomed guests to Mouton Cadet Baron Philippe De Rothschild 3.0 Reborn, an exclusive wine dinner co-hosted by Brindco Limited and Sommelier India at The Lodhi Hotel in Delhi, on December 20th, 2018, and looked back on Mouton Rothschild, the prestigious First Growth château in Bordeaux from its beginnings in the mid-19th century to the present and the growth of the Mouton Cadet label.

The short audio-visual presentation offered a snapshot of the wines produced by the wine estate along with the ebb and flow of the times. Offering the context for the conceptualization of the Mouton Cadet label, Bouvier said the 1920s were tough time, World War I and the Great Depression offered tough times, while great vintages (1928 and 1929) brought in appreciation from wine lovers.

In 1922, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the youngest son of the family, took over Mouton Rothschild, and in 1930, he launched Mouton Cadet – cadet referring to his being the youngest son – with the aim to offer fine, consistent and reasonably priced wines.

His passion and tireless efforts and subsequently those of his daughter Baroness Philippine de Rothschild (who took over in 1988) made Mouton Cadet the biggest selling branded Bordeaux wine in the world. In 2014, her three children succeeded her, and their efforts at constantly developing the wines to rounder, smoother, fruitier and more succulent is reflected in the current Mouton Cadet 3.0 version.

“Success means one has to be true to oneself and yet be open to change,” said Bouvier, and the family has always taken steps when they felt the production of wines required a change. Alluding to the 3.0 Reborn title, he explained number three was of significance as this was the third generation involved with the label, the current portfolio reflected the third major change in the wine’s production, and the three siblings were owners of the company now.

After the presentation, guests walked across to the newly designed restaurant, soon to be launched as an Italian speciality restaurant, for a multi-course sit-down dinner with each course paired with a wine. Starting with an incredibly light aperitif, the meal featured a choice of artistically presented vegetarian and non-vegetarian specialities paired with Mouton Cadet wines, culminating in a delicious dessert and artisanal cheese.

Center Middle: General Manager Vikramaditya Singh with the team behind the excellent wine dinner

The wines served in the course of the dinner were Mouton Cadet Blanc, 2016; Mouton Cadet Rouge, 2015; Mouton Cadet Réserve Médoc, 2013; and Mouton Cadet Réserve Saint-Emilion, 2016. The dessert was served with a surprise wine – Mouton Cadet Sauternes, a delicious botrytized wine, that nicely wrapped up the meal and left us with a lingering sweet memory of a very special evening.

Mouton Cadet wines are imported in India by Brindco Limited and available in Delhi at La Cave Fine Wines and Spirits, Select CItywalk Mall, Saket